Essence of Dittany
by aconsultingwizard
Summary: Story focuses on Hermione and the rest of our favourite Hogwarts students and their lives after the war. *Currently a oneshot but would like to make it a multichap so opinions on where you want it to go are very welcome* Written for Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry: Potions (Week 2).


**A/N This is written for The Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry: Potions Class (Week 2)**

**The prompt was: You have to write about a medicinal potion saving someone's life. A minimum of a 1000 words. Your prompts are: light, minutes and life. You have to incorporate the character Neville Longbottom into this assignment in some way.**

**I wasn't sure how involved the prompts had to be- all are mentioned in this story so hopefully that's enough?**

**Written as a one shot for this assignment but I would like to make it into a multichap so if you'd be interested would you want it to be about Hermione and Ron falling in love again or breaking up?**

**Hope you enjoy :)**

**I don't own Harry Potter :)**

* * *

Hermione apparated into her office in an ill-tempered mood. She had fought with Ron again about her commitment to her job. She knew she was spending too much time at work but she was so close to finding the cure that she couldn't give up now.

Hermione owned a small medical practice, similar to a muggle GP. After graduating from Hogwarts she had initially dabbled in politics at the Ministry, but was now a fully qualified medi-witch. At the moment she was working on a cure for lycanthropy with Neville Longbottom, who's knowledge of plants and potions ingredients was an incredible help. She was also campaigning for more practices similar to hers to be set up. A difficult task, as this was considered 'the muggle way' and thus undesirable- despite her sides success in the war the wizarding world resisted change. At the moment all injuries and ailments, no matter how minor were treated at St Mungo's, which was highly inefficient.

Once she had seen her 9:00 patient- a simple case of a muffliato charm backfiring she stepped outside to join Neville in the greenhouses. She didn't know how she could run the practice without him- he provided her with all the ingredients she needed and kept her sane on late night shifts. Gone was the bumbling, hopeless Neville from Hogwarts and in his place was a young man passionate about herbology. He cared for his plants with such a gentle tenderness and talked to them so that it felt like each had an individual personality.

"Hey Neville." She smiled brightly, handing him a cup of coffee.

"Good morning Hermione. Mrs White's mandrake powder is ready and the essence of dittany is nearly ready." He spoke to her but didn't turn around. Hermione wasn't offended, she knew that some of the plants were very dangerous and Neville was always very careful.

"How did things go with Hannah last night?"

"Well I... I asked her to marry me Hermione! And she said yes!"

"Oh Neville that's great! I'm so glad for you."

Hermione thought wistfully about her own marriage. She loved Ron, she really did, but she wished they hadn't rushed into marriage so quickly. They were one of many couples who had taken their vows after the war and she was happy, she really was, but maybe Ron just wasn't right for her?

She shook her head to get rid of those traitorous thoughts and turned back to Neville.

"I have a few notes on possible improvements to the cure. I think it would be worth trying to-"

"Ms Granger! Ms Granger!" That was another thing Ron hated- her refusal to be 'Mrs Weasley'.

"What is it Nancy?" Hermione was growing exasperated with her over-excitable young receptionist.

"It's Mrs Potter! She collapsed and there's blood everywhere, all over your lovely new chairs and-"

"Ginny?" Hermione broke into a run with Neville close behind her. In the lobby was Ginny, unconscious, being supported by Adrian Murdoch, one of the chasers on Ginny's quidditch team. Her leg was torn open and her left arm appeared to be broken.

"It was a bludger, tore right through her leg! She wouldn't let me take her to St Mungo's- insisted on coming here- will she be okay? Harry will kill me if she's not!"

Harry looked pale. "Hermione we can't treat her here."

"Are you joking? We have to- she'd never make the journey to St Mungo's! Besides this is our chance to prove we can do this. We _can_ do this Neville. Go and get the essence of dittany. Nancy- blood transfusions." Hermione called out orders, passing Nancy instructions. Neville returned Neville returned with a tiny bottle.

"Hermione it needs to rest, it's not ready!"

"It just needs a few minutes Neville, she can hold on!"

Hermione began injecting the blood into Ginny. It was helping but they knew that Ginny might not _have_ a few minutes. Finally, the essence of dittany was ready and Hermione applied it to the wound. Slowly the gaping cut closed itself and the gashes faded. Hermione held her breath and glanced at her watch, trying to judge whether they had acted quickly enough.

* * *

Ginny was flying and then she was falling, crashing through darkness and pain until suddenly the pain was gone and it was light. Her broomstick was gone and she was sprawled on the ground. She got up shakily and stared about her, dazed. There was so much light it was hard to make things out but she could see that she was not alone.

"George?"

"Nope. You never could tell us apart Gin."

"Fred!" she flung her arms around him. "Does this mean I'm dead?"

"No Gin, you can go back- go back to Harry."

"Can't you come too?"

"No. Ginny, you have to choose. But choose quickly."

"He gestured in front of her and she saw to archways. The couldn't make out where either of them led- one was so dark it was like looking into nothingness, and the other was blindingly bright."

"Go on Ginny. Go home, back to Harry and the family. Give my love to everyone." He grinned and pushed her towards the door, the choice that led back to walked through it and then she was falling again, light surrounding her, enveloping her, seeping into her mind. She held onto the thought of Harry, clinging onto life as tightly as she could as her mind drifted through the light.

* * *

Hermione gasped as Ginny's eyes fluttered open and life returned to her body. "Neville, send a patronus to Harry please."

"Ginny? Ginny, can you hear me?"

"Ugh Fred, switch the light off"

"What? Ginny it's me, Hermione."

Ginny looked around taking in her surroundings. "Hey Hermione."

"Thank Merlin! You know your heart stopped for a few minutes- I thought you had lost too much blood!"

"Thank you Hermione."

"You should thank Neville really- he prepared the essence of dittany- thank goodness it was ready in time. Anyway, come on, you should really go to St Mungo's for a check up- I can't really deal with emergencies like this Ginny."

After they had cleaned up some of the blood they flooed to St Mungo's. Hermione made sure Ginny was alright and then left her to wait for Harry with Adrian as she had a meeting for which she was already very late.


End file.
